Unions representing public hospital staff are pressing ahead with a 48-hour strike on 10 and 11 November. The dispute with the State Health Services Organisation (SHSO) is over pay rises and whether they should be linked to staff appraisals.
The strike involves about 1,600 workers, including doctors, nurses, and paramedical, technical, administrative and secretarial staff.
The unions have acknowledged that the action will disrupt public hospitals. They have said they will work with the relevant services to handle emergency and life-threatening cases.
PASYDY, SEK, PEO, DEOK, PASYKI and PASYNO will hold a joint press conference on Wednesday, 4 November, to set out their positions and explain the decision to strike.
At the centre of the dispute is the renewal of the collective agreement for 2026 and 2027. The two sides disagree on annual pay rises, on linking them to staff appraisals and on how salary scales should be set.
The unions have proposed rises of 3% for 2026 and 3% for 2027, with no link to individual appraisals. The SHSO has offered 2.75% for 2026 and 2.5% for 2027. Under its offer, 75% of each rise would be granted automatically and the remaining 25% would depend on appraisal.
The unions also say that provisions of the previous collective agreement remain unfulfilled, mainly on staffing structures and salary progression.
They reject the SHSO’s demand for agreement in advance on how salary scales will be applied from 2028. They argue this cannot be made a condition for renewing the agreement.
SHSO management has said there is room for dialogue. It insists, however, that pay arrangements must be tied to the organisation’s sustainability and efficient operation.
